The Dodgers' Andre Ethier is checked out by assistant athletic trainer Nancy Patterson after aggravating a sore left ankle during the eighth inning of Friday's game against the Giants. JAE C. HONG, AP

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers better clinch fast before they run out of players.

One night after losing Hanley Ramirez to what has been diagnosed as a back problem, Andre Ethier left Friday’s 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants after running out a double in the eighth inning. Ethier has been playing with a sore left ankle.

Even with the loss, the Dodgers got a little closer to clinching their first NL West title since 2009. Their magic number to clinch dropped to four when the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks lost Friday night.

“It should have been three,” Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw said. “Hopefully we can close this out pretty soon.

“We need to clinch this. Once we get to that point, Donnie (Mattingly) can decide how best to rest everyone and get ready.

“I’d really like to have the peace of mind that we’ve clinched – because anything can happen.”

Ethier said his ankle has been “tightening up” occasionally since he overrated on a swing during the series in Colorado and rolled it. The ankle is fine when he runs in a straight line. But turns – like rounding first base on his eighth-inning double – can be painful.

“It’s just sore,” he said. “I’ll show up tomorrow and see if I’m ready to go.”

Mattingly is not likely to put Ethier in the lineup Saturday as he continues to juggle the priorities Kershaw outlined.

“Yeah, but at the same time we want the best record,” Ethier said. “Home-field advantage – that’s important. It’s important to start out at home and have as many of the most important games at home as possible.”

Intentionally or not, the Dodgers have pumped the brakes in September, splitting their past 12 games. The Atlanta Braves remain two games up on them for the best record and the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals have caught the Dodgers from behind, matching their 86-61 record through Friday and threatening to take away home-field advantage in a potential Division Series matchup now.

Kershaw was willing to take the blame for Friday’s loss. Juan Uribe staked him to a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the sixth inning.

Uncharacteristically, Kershaw coughed it up in the seventh, giving up four consecutive hits – none particularly well struck -- and three runs to the Giants. One of the runs was unearned after Scott Van Slyke bobbled a ball in left-center.

“I made a couple mistakes and they found a few holes,” Kershaw said. “It’s my fault. Against a good pitcher like (Madison) Bumgarner I’ve got to make that lead stand up.”

It was the first time in over two years that Kershaw had allowed more than two runs in a start against the Giants and only the second time in 21 career starts against the Dodgers’ rivals.

“He’s been able to shut their club down a lot,” Mattingly said. “But, like I’ve been saying, regardless of where they are in the standings, that’s a championship club over there. They’ve won two of the past three (World Series titles). They’re not going to just close up shop.”

As uncharacteristic as Kershaw’s numbers against the Giants were Friday, it would be just as out of character for Nick Punto not to dive headfirst on a close play at first base. Undeterred by the fact that it actually slows a runner down, Punto takes the headlong plunge on a regular basis.

It might have kept the Dodgers from tying the game in the seventh inning Friday. With runners at first and second and one out, Punto hit a grounder to Giants first baseman Brett Pill, who threw to second for the forceout. Joaquin Arias’ return throw to first was in the dirt and skipped through pitcher Jean Machi, who was covering.

In his usual dive, Punto smothered the throw. Had it gotten past him, Mark Ellis likely would have scored the tying run. Instead, Gonzalez pinch-hit and struck out, stranding Ellis at third.

Hunter Pence made it a two-run lead with a solo home run off reliever Chris Withrow in the eighth.

The Dodgers finished the night 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 baserunners in all.

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